Collaboration

When writing goals for 2014 I decided spending more time collaborating with others was going to be at the forefront of what I do with the majority of my free time. There is something so magical about collaborating with people—the way inspiration and creativity feed off the ideas being formed in your head and let loose into the world without inhibition, the way a simple sketch can be envisioned as the grandiose image already in your head and the involved parties not only understand, but are anxious to see it brought to life, and how bonding during the process is viewed to be just as valuable as the end result.

This, my friends, is magic. This is like glitter raining down on a sunshiny day where a warm breeze tousles your hair and someone catches the moment on film… no filter required.

I haven’t participated in much collaboration in the past—one absolutely lovely session with Lani Elias Fine Art Photography and Bloom Petals& Gifts (check it out here) was all I needed to know I wanted to do it again…. It was like eating a slice of the most amazing pie and knowing you just had to have another slice…or two… (or in my case, the recipe).

In Winkler I had friends who were doing things. Lani is one of my closest friends and Meg from Bloom is our go-to florist who is just as awesome as her floral arrangements. It was a simple collaboration—it worked well, was easy to arrange, and went beautifully.

Enter the move to Hamilton.

I arrived in Hamilton and realized I didn’t really know anyone—no local florist to visit, no hidden gems of creative talent I could tap into for easy experimental fun. Little did I know the lovely lady we ended up living with is a photographer who wants to, get this, get into food photography! *Insert harps and hallelujah choir here.*

As an individual who is pretty much down to be involved in anything creative I jumped at the chance to help her brainstorm and execute ideas for a course she was taking and, since then, have taken almost any opportunity to make something delicious and then get pictures of it.

Aside from a recent mini-shoot of Birthday Crepes, the most recent shoot consisted of process shots and a few final shots of cupcakes Meag hired me to make for a baby shower. It’s fun to live with someone who enjoys sharing the magic during the process.

As the year is only beginning, I am looking forward to the collaborations that will arise and where they will take me. It’s always humbling and inspiring to work with individuals who have talent and are willing to share it with you for a collaborative vision. I look forward to those photographers, florists, stylists and all other creative beings I will be honoured to work with this year. Know that I am grateful for the opportunity, educated through the experience, and inspired for the future by the simple act of collaboration.

 

Process shots by Meagan Tutti.
Final shots by me.

Would You Like Some Birthday Cake?

What is more appropriate for a birthday than cake?

Classic yet inspired, designed yet delicious, trendy yet rustic—Oh how I enjoy cake and the many varieties I can find!

I’ve decided my little slice of the blogging world should really begin documenting the baking adventures I embark on.  This conclusion was reached after I considered my current pursuit of a career as a pastry chef and the world-changing dreams that come along with the new title.  Like I tend to frequently say, it’s best to use your passions to change the world and that is what I intend to do!

The journey to accomplishing every dream starts with a step. My first step was to acquire employment in a bakery. Being an individual whose only experience baking were moments in the welcoming kitchens of friends and family, I was a little hesitant on my ‘hire-ability’ in this new field. To amp up my resume I planned to hand in to prospects in our new city of Hamilton I decided to add in a portfolio.  What better way to show ‘hey, I might not have professionally learned anything, but I enjoy doing this a lot and sometimes things look nice and sometimes other people really enjoy eating the creations!’ With the decision of a portfolio underway I dug up a Pin on Pinterest regarding a potential baked goods photo shoot idea the lovely and incredible talented Lani Elias and I said we would do together. She was in and we were both excited.

During a weekend cabin getaway with my wonderful husband, Lani and her husband, and another couple inspiration in the form of wine, Baileys, Pinterest and our own personal tastes combined to a rough sketch on how we wanted the shoot to look! The only thing we needed, aside from the goodies to be shot, was a table scape worthy of Pinterest itself! Enter the marvelous Meg from Bloom. Such a lovely gem to work with who believed in the vision for the shoot and brought her own amazing creative flair—ripping full, lush heads of perfect peonies off just so we could scatter the petals! Heartbreaking for anyone who appreciates the rich look of the incredible flowers.

Since the date of this shoot my fellow collaborators and myself have been truly blessed to see where this shoot has gone. First off, the portfolio came together in free time over the summer spent in Dominican Republic and landed me a position as a pastry chef in the bakery I had my eyes (and heart) set on. Next came an instant moment of joy when the shoot was featured on Best Friends For Frosting! It was surreal to see something I was personally invested in be featured on a site where so many people visit and appreciate the time and heart that go into creating such a spread. Even Pottery Barn pinned a picture from the shoot!!!!

It’s truly amazing to see how one basic idea turned from a simple spark to a dazzling firework. And while to some this accomplishment may seem small, I believe the simplest accomplishments are worth celebrating and every moment to count a blessing is a step towards living life the way we are intended to—thankful, gracious, spreading love and extending our blessings with all those along our path. So today, on my 26^th Birthday, instead of a “life so far” post, I figured it’s best to look forward and share with you some dreams over cake.

Images by Lani Elias Fine Art Photography

Florals by Bloom Petals and Gifts

Edibles by myself